Australian Aviation

Half a century on from Cyclone Tracy, former TAA manager Paul Boyce tells Australian Aviation of his experience coordinating what was the then-biggest airlift in Australia’s history – and how the storm brought out the resilience and generosity of a nation.

While the new service will begin on schedule, with the first flight slated for 30 March, it will initially operate four times per week on 737s rather than five times per week on the newer A220s, with the A220s now set to take over the route on 26 October.

In total, 3,393,977 passengers travelled through Melbourne’s terminals last month, compared to 3,322,940 in December 2019. This also included a record 1,238,829 international passengers, 671,135 of whom were arrivals.

The Flying Kangaroo’s regional arm is replacing older 50-seat Q300s out of Adelaide with the newer, larger planes, a switch enabled by its move last year to purchase 14 mid-life Q400s to transition its turboprop fleet to a single aircraft type.

The former PM, now the Non-Executive Group Chairman at Space Centre Australia (SCA), will be joined by an unparalleled lineup of industry leaders to discuss emerging business opportunities, innovations, and real-world applications shaping the future of the space industry.

The carrier will increase its Sydney–Istanbul services from four to five per week in mid-June this year, then six in October, and finally daily from 12 January. Flights will be operated using A350-900s via Kuala Lumpur, shifting to non-stop next year when longer-range aircraft arrive.